Elon’s Matheny Named Court Coach for World University Games

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Elon University head men’s basketball coach Matt Matheny was named a court coach for the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games training camp today, May 14. The USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team committee made the coaching selections.

Matheny, along with Tad Boyle of the University of Colorado and Jim Kessler of Grace College, will assist the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games coaching staff during the June 24-July 1 training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The USA men at the 2013 World University Games, which will be played July 6-17 in Kazan, Russia, will be led by Davidson College’s Bob McKillop, and assistant coaches John Beilein of Michigan and the University of South Carolina’s Frank Martin.

Organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the World University Games is a multi-sport competition open to men and women who are between the ages of 17 and 24 (born between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 1995), and are or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university.

Matheny guided the Elon Phoenix to a 21-12 record in 2012-13, the program’s best season ever at the NCAA Division I level. Voted the 2013 Southern Conference Coach of the Year by the media, he led Elon to the Southern Conference North Division title in 2013, the program’s first division crown since 2006. Matheny also helped Elon to its first postseason appearance at the Division I level as the team earned an invitation to the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). A 1992 Davidson graduate, Matheny spent 10 seasons (1993-2003) as an assistant coach for head coach McKillop’s Wildcats before being promoted to the associate head coach in 2003. After spending another six campaigns (2003-09) in that role, Matheny was involved in more victories than any other assistant coach in Davidson’s history.

“I am thrilled and very honored to be associated with USA Basketball,” Matheny said. “Many of the things that I have learned in coaching I have learned from Bob McKillop. The opportunity to spend more time with him is an incredible opportunity for further development in this profession.”

In his three seasons at Colorado, Boyle has compiled a 69-38 record (.645 winning percentage). Prior to his 2010 arrival in Boulder, he was the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado for four seasons, leading the Bears in his final season (2009-10) to a 25-8 record and a second-place finish in the Big Sky Conference.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be involved with an organization like USA Basketball and what it means to our country, so I’m honored that they asked me to be a part of it in a small way,” said Boyle.

In 36-years at the helm of Grace’s basketball program, Kessler has proven to be one of the top coaches in the nation, producing 679 career wins. Having enjoyed 15 20-win seasons and three 30-win seasons during his time at Grace, most recently Kessler led the Lancers to a 24-10 record and a trip to the 2013 NAIA Division II National Championship semifinals.

“I’m highly honored to have the opportunity to contribute to USA Basketball,” Kessler said. “It’s an honor for the NAIA to be included at this level. I think USA Basketball is recognizing there are a lot of good coaches at this level.”

In addition to chair and NCAA representative Jim Boeheim (head coach, Syracuse University), the 2013-16 USA Men’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees McKillop, Matt Painter (head coach, Purdue University) and Lorenzo Romar (head coach, University of Washington), as well as athlete representative Curtis Sumpter, a member of the 2011 USA Pan American Games Team and the 2004 USA U20 National Team.

World University Games
The United States has claimed 19 medals in the World University Games since beginning play in 1965, and has captured a record 13 golds, three silvers and three bronze medals in the 20 WUGs in which a USA Basketball men’s squad has competed. The USA owns a stellar 138-9 won-loss record in World University Games play. The United States captured six of the first seven gold medals awarded in World University Games basketball competition and strung together six consecutive gold medals from 1989 through 1999. In 2001 the USA fell to host China, which featured half of its 2000 Olympic team, including Yao Ming, Menk Batere and Wang ZhiZhi, by a single point in the semifinal and finished with the bronze. The USA again captured the gold medal in 2005 and most recently, finished in fifth place with a 7-1 record after falling to Lithuania 76-74 in the 2011 quarterfinals.

Eighteen players who have represented the USA in the World University Games have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games, including Ray Allen (1995), Stacey Augmon (1989), Charles Barkley (1983), Larry Bird (1977), Bill Bradley (1965), Quinn Buckner (1973), Tom Burleson (1973), Ken Davis (1970), Tim Duncan (1995), Phil Hubbard (1977), Allen Iverson (1995), Mitch Kupchak (1973), Karl Malone (1983), Michael Redd (1999), Mitch Richmond (1987), Michael Silliman (1967), Steve Smith (1989) and Jo Jo White (1967).

USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international competitions, as well as for some national competitions.

During the 2009-12 quadrennium, 1273 men and women players and 235 coaches participated in USA Basketball, including the USA Basketball 3×3 FIBA?championships, USA Basketball trials and USA teams.

USA Basketball men’s and women’s teams between 2009-12 compiled an impressive 264-35 win-loss record in FIBA and FIBA Americas competitions, the Pan American Games, the World University Games, the Nike Hoop Summit and in exhibition games. USA teams are the current men’s and women’s champions in the Olympics; men’s and women’s FIBA World Championships; women’s FIBA?U19 World Champions; men’s and women’s FIBA U17 World Champions; and the men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas Championships.

USA Basketball also currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA’s world ranking categories, including combined, men’s, women’s, boys and girls.